A Day Of Mixed Events

[Georgia-guy]

Today was definitely interesting. I couldn't stay at home any longer, the urge to go out somewhere was overpowering. So, I went to my favorite "watering hole". When I walked in, the bartender looks at me and says "blue moon?" Then came the explaining part...she had no clue what celiac or "that gluten free thing" is. But she did seem actually interested in the mini-lesson (very brief description of celiac and the dietary restrictions). I ended up getting some hard cider to drink.

As I'm drinking it, the manager comes over and starts talking beer with me (she has built up quite the selection on the menu), and tells me if I like the hard cider, I should try a certain beer...I said "wheat" and she said "celiac?" She knew what I was talking about! I asked her about ordering some gluten-free beer, and she said she would look into it, but it doesn't sell well. I told her if she ordered it, it would sell...cuz I would buy it (I go up there too much, mainly cuz the service is so awesome...and I may have a bit of a thing for one of the bartenders).

As I'm sitting there enjoying my Smith & Forge, the other servers start to realize I don't have my usual beer. More explaining, but I did find out one of the servers, her mom had a celiac panel done this morning, so she knows what it is. Then another server, her mom has celiac and quite a few other food problems (potatoes, dairy, nuts, I can't remember what else) but she looked at me and said "your life is gonna be h**l if you're like my mom" (not in a mean way, but in a "I feel bad for you" way). Fortunately the only thing I've noticed is the gluten. She did tell me though that Annie's Mac and cheese is "the shiznit", so now I have a Mac and cheese starting point.

[mamaw]

It's  funny  when we think  no one  else  knows  or understands  about gluten-free, kind  of  like  a  deep  dark  secret &  when you  come  out only to find  others  ( some)  do  understand.... And  since  you are a regular  at this place  maybe  you could  take in  your  own  bottle of gluten-free  beer  & enjoy the  company....good luck  with  your  bartender!  Don't  know  if  you  drink  wine  or  vodka  but  many are gluten-free.....

[Pegleg84]

Always be good to your bartender... This is actually very sweet and encouraging, and if you're a regular its likely they would be willing to get some gluten-free beer in for you. My local is a crazy beer bar with everything you could imagine and then some. My boyfriend is a total beer snob so it's tough to have all that good beer under my nose (I smell a lot of it) and not be able to have any. BUT! since they're awesome, they also have a good gluten-free beer selection. When I first started going there, they just had boring ol New Grist and Messagiere. I got talking with the owner and mentioned Nicklebrook gluten-free (a local gluten-free beer), and a couple weeks later they had it! Now they also have Glutenberg, at a reasonable price too, so it's great to be able to go out and have a good beer.

Find a gluten-free beer you like, get them to order it in for you. It'll be like a personal stash.

 

Also, it's amazing how many people know about Celiac/GI if you just get talking to them.

I'd say this is a good development.

Also, bourbon/whisky/etc is gluten-free, just sayin.

[notme]

i like a particular venue in knoxville (and my son is friends with the owner, which helps) so, if i want to see a show, i just message gina and ask if it's ok for me to bring my beer.  so, i do, and i tip the bartender to open it for me  one place (it was outdoors) just gave me a cup and told me there's no security in the parking lot so i could pour my own beer from the cooler in my trunk, lolz  

 

make friends  it's the best way

[MsQuel]

I totally agree with Annie's Macaroni & Cheese... I DID NOT want the kids to have any.  I wanted it all for myself. heheh.

 

I am a huge beer fan so it's been a change at BEST to switch to cider but cider SUCKS.  Most gluten-free beers out there plain SUCK unless you're into a bud/lite beer substitute.  I couldn't drink bud with my nose plugged and for money anyway, I am (was) a small owned/specialty beer drinker.  I have no place to go drink at for a cold mug o suds at all but at my house.  I cannot stand cider.  I'd rather skip the fake gluten-free beer/cider and drink a mixed drink  and wine is eh, not my favorite.  Unless it's champagne.

 

I started HOMEBREWING 2 years ago and it is the key for my gluten-free beer enjoyment.  There is a nice beer brewing shop in town and they have food allergies in that family...  some pretty serious allergies... they will help you find whatever you need and look up stuff on the internet... anyway once I got the general equipment of buckets, hoses, big ass pots, air locks and carboys, it's been pretty cool.  You can get sorghum extracts (tastes not malty but it does taste grainy and sweet) and honey instead of grains and malted sugar and corn flakes (looks like oatmeal but yellow) instead of grains.  Even though it's still missing something obviously malty and hearty, it's still enough of a beer experience for me that I enjoy it (also it's a lot stronger, probably 7% than that crap like Red Bridge which is 4% with no flavor to speak of).  And it's fun to pick out your own hops.

 

I'm not trying to convert you to making beer because I don't really know what to do with my items in the garage, they're taking up precious space (plus I have a kegerator in my living room, it's better to let someone else make it for you and just bottle it for you) but I can say that homebrewed gluten-free beer is fun to make and tastes pretty good.  I can share with anyone.  And they always say something about how good it is, etc. which is a fun thing to share.

[Pegleg84]

gluten-free homebrew! That's brave!
There's a couple guys in Toronto who started their own gluten-free brewery from scratch, and are just now starting to make it available ON TAP! at a couple bars in the city. They malt their own millet, and of course had to buy all new equipment and figure out some kind of special tap hookup so that the bar wouldn't send the nice gluten-free beer through contaminated lines. they did a maple porter a couple years ago that was pretty nice. BSG (Glutenberg) in Montreal is doing really amazing craft gluten-free beers, so there is hope out there.
But yeah, Bedbrige tastes like water. Bad water. And I'm sick of cider too. If I never touch another drop of Strongbow in my life I can die happy. I have tried to make my own cloudy cider before. Not very successfully though.

There's a lot of really good gluten-free beers out there now, but they can be harder to track down.

[Georgia-guy]

I can share with anyone. And they always say something about how good it is, etc. which is a fun thing to share.

Send some to me!